Amien unconcerned about PKB's plan

Amien unconcerned about PKB's plan

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker
Amien Rais said on Saturday that he was not worried about the
National Awakening Party (PKB)'s plan to return to the
legislature with the main mission of unseating him.

"Please go ahead. But be sure to abide by the existing rules
and procedures just as we did in ousting Abdurrahman Wahid from
the presidency due to his mistakes," Amien said as quoted by
Antara.

PKB Secretary-General Muhaimin Iskandar said on Tuesday that
his party would return to the legislature with the main mission
of ousting Amien for his alleged role in ousting Abdurrahman from
the presidency.

"The PKB's main target will be Amien and we will be seeking an
appropriate time to call him to account for the numerous
transgressions he has committed. We want to see him step down or
be replaced," Muhaimin said.

PKB suspended all its activities in the legislature in protest
against the special MPR session on July 23 which led to the
impeachment of Abdurrahman, who is also chairman of the party's
advisory council. But the party later considered the possibility
of reviving its faction in the legislature.

Speaking to journalists after attending a ceremony for the
inauguration of Supriyanto as a professor at the school of
agriculture of Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Amien said
anybody, who did not wish him to be the MPR speaker, could seek
the appropriate mechanism to oust him.

"If I am proven to have made mistakes, I will surely agree to
step down," said Amien, who is also the general chairman of the
National Mandate Party (PAN).

Amien further commented that the sooner the PKB revives its
faction at the legislature the better it will be so as to make
the legislature united again.

"Without the PKB faction in the legislature, there is
something missing as we already feel we are one family," he said.

According to him there are two approaches for the party's
comeback -- "exclusively" or "implicitly". In selecting the
exclusive approach, the party has to clearly state the date of
the revival of their faction, he said.

But under the implicit approach, the party's return to the
legislature means that they totally accept the results of the
Special Session, Antara reported.

"So just please feel free... choosing the exclusive way is
clear and the implicit way is also understandable," he said.
(hhr)